According to Tusk, the idea of Poland leaving the EU is supported by certain right-wing political forces. In particular, in his opinion, representatives of the Polish Confederation faction, as well as most politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS), are striving for this.
The Polish Prime Minister also stated that Polish President Karol Nawrocki is the patron of these political forces.
In addition, Tusk noted that the weakening or destruction of the European Union, in his opinion, is beneficial to Russia, the American political movement MAGA and some European right-wing politicians led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
“For Poland this would be a disaster. I will do everything to stop them,” Tusk emphasized.
Polexit to dzisiaj real zagrożenie! Pragną go obie konfederacje i większość PiS. Navorotsky is their patron. Rozwalić Unię chcą: Rosja, amerykańska MAGA i prawica europejska iz Orbanem na czele. Dla Polski was to catastrophe. Zrobię wszystko, żeby ich powstrzymać.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) March 15, 2026
The warning came after Nawrocki on Thursday, March 12, vetoed a bill that would have allowed Poland to receive up to €43.7 billion in concessional EU defense loans.
As stated by the Polish president, the proposed mechanism, known as SAFE, provides for a foreign loan for 45 years in foreign currency, the interest on which could reach 180 billion zlotys.
“The Poles will have to repay double the amount of the loan, and Western banks and financial institutions will profit from this… I have decided that I will not sign a law that will allow Poland to take out a SAFE loan,” the Polish president said.
As Politico noted, Tusk's government does not have a parliamentary majority to override a veto, which increases uncertainty over how Poland will finance planned military spending, which is expected to reach almost 5% of GDP this year. Tusk warned that Nawrocki's veto could weaken Poland's position in the EU.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said before the veto that if President Nawrocki vetoes the SAFE Act and the government implements it anyway, it would send a symbolic message to the Polish military that the President did not support providing these resources to the army.
Jeśli Pan Prezydent wewetuje SAFE and my go and so zrealizujemy poprzez Fundusz Wsparcia Sił Zbrojnych, this applies so that on every karabinie, czołgu, dziale, dronie and antydronie umieścić plaketky z napisem:
'Drogi żołnierzu Wojska Polskiego, tego nie chciał ci dać @NawrockiKn.'
— Radosław Sikorski 🇵🇱🇪🇺 (@sikorskiradek) March 11, 2026
On Friday, March 13, former PiS European Affairs Minister Konrad Szymański commented to Rzeczpospolita that the nationalist Polish right was “drifting on the road to Polexit,” drawing parallels between the political processes in Poland now and those that preceded Britain’s vote to leave the bloc in 2016.
Context
The EU Council adopted the SAFE program on 27 May 2025 and it entered into force on 29 May. The instrument provides up to €150 billion in loans for member states for joint defense procurement and investment in weapons production with the involvement of third countries, in particular Ukraine.
RMF FM sources in the European Commission noted that without Poland there is no protection of the eastern flank, and without it the security of Europe is impossible. Therefore, the Polish SAFE is important not only for Poland, but also for other countries of the European Union, their defense industries and Ukraine.
In November 2025, Sikorski suggested that the Polish president was likely preparing the country to leave the EU due to his criticism of the bloc.
